Malnutrition

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New on the MedlinePlus Malnutrition page:

Prealbumin Blood Test

07/25/2018 11:48 AM EDT

Source: National Library of Medicine - From the National Institutes of Health

Summary

Food provides the energy and nutrients you need to be healthy. If you don't get enough nutrients -- including proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals - you may suffer from malnutrition.

Causes of malnutrition include:

Lack of specific nutrients in your diet. Even the lack of one vitamin can lead to malnutrition.
An unbalanced diet
Certain medical problems, such as malabsorption syndromes and cancers

Symptoms may include fatigue, dizziness, and weight loss. Or, you may have no symptoms. To diagnose the cause of the problem, your doctor may do blood tests and a nutritional assessment. Treatment may include replacing the missing nutrients and treating the underlying cause.

Start Here

Hunger and Malnutrition (Nemours Foundation)
Undernutrition (Merck & Co., Inc.)Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

Albumin Blood Test (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
Malnutrition Tests (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
Prealbumin Blood Test (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)

Related Issues

Iodine Deficiency (American Thyroid Association)Also in Spanish
Nutrition in Cancer Care (PDQ) (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish
Pernicious Anemia (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Vitamin Deficiency Anemia (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish